1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spray hoods or shields for confining the mist of sprayed agricultural chemicals such as pesticides in an application area as the pesticide or other liquid is applied to soil or vegetation. More particularly, the invention relates to a spray hood assembly which is typically mounted on a trailer hitched to a tractor for retarding drift of spray mist such as that of liquid pesticide or other liquid agricultural chemicals from the application area as the pesticide or chemical is sprayed on soil or vegetation through the migrating spray hood assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the spray hood assembly is characterized by an elongated hood assembled from multiple hood segments which typically have an arcuate cross-section and flanged ends for attaching a selected number of the hood segments to each other in end-to-end relationship. The assembled hood is mounted in a suspended configuration above the ground on a trailer coupled to a tractor or other towing vehicle. As the hood migrates over the soil or vegetation and the pesticide or other liquid chemical is sprayed into the hood, air openings in the hood segments permit entry into the hood of turbulent air which promotes mixing of the air and sprayed mist. This mixing action of the inflowing air facilitates uniform distribution of the liquid mist inside the hood and substantially uniform application of the mist to the soil or vegetation substantially within the confines of the hood. In a preferred embodiment, a mist curtain extends downwardly from the curved front and rear panels of the hood segments for enhancing confinement of the mist in the hood during application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of migrating spray shield assemblies are known in the art for transiently enclosing the spray mist of liquid herbicides or other agricultural liquids as the liquids are sprayed on vegetation. Typical of these is the xe2x80x9cSpray Hood and Assembly Including the Spray Hoodxe2x80x9d, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,335, dated May 28, 1996, to Claussen, et al. The spray hood assembly is adapted for spraying liquids on the ground while limiting drifting of the sprayed liquid mist. The assembly has a wheeled trailer adapted to be coupled to a towing vehicle which transports the trailer along the ground, the rear end of the trailer fitted with a pair of elongated, horizontal, oppositely-extending hood support members. Multiple hoods each having diverging front and rear walls projecting from opposite sides of a top wall are mounted on each hood support member. A liquid distribution system including spray nozzles is provided in the hoods for directing liquid spray on the ground, whereupon the top and side walls of the respective hoods limit drifting of the sprayed liquid mist. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,605, dated Jun. 18, 1996, to O""Dougherty, describes a xe2x80x9cSpray Shieldxe2x80x9d adapted to be connected to a support frame which carries the shield over vegetation. The spray shield assembly includes a polymeric spray shield having a top wall portion suspended from the support frame, and side wall portions extend downwardly from the top wall portion to form a channel which extends through the shield. Stiff, polymeric slotted end closure sheets are attached across the open front and rear ends of the channel to retain the spray therein. Spaced weed knock-down bars extend between the opposite side wall portions adjacent to the open side of the channel, and are adaptable for spacing the side wall portions at various distances from each other Des. U.S. Pat. No. 372,298, dated Jul. 30, 1996, to Claussen, et al., discloses a xe2x80x9cSpray Hoodxe2x80x9d characterized by a flat top having front and rear panels extending downwardly therefrom in angular relationship.
An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved spray hood assembly for confining the spray mist of agricultural liquid chemicals such as pesticides as the liquid is applied to soil or vegetation, which spray hood assembly promotes mixing of the sprayed mist with turbulent air to facilitate substantially uniform application of the mist to the soil or vegetation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved spray hood assembly which can be attached to a conventional trailer coupled to a tractor or other towing vehicle.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a spray hood assembly characterized by an elongated hood mounted on a suitable trailer coupled to a tractor or other towing vehicle, the front of which hood is provided with air intake openings through which turbulent air can enter the hood and mix with pesticide or other agricultural liquid sprayed into the hood to promote uniform distribution of the liquid mist in the hood and facilitate substantially uniform application of the mist to soil or vegetation within the confines of the hood.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a spray hood assembly for retarding drifting of liquid pesticide or other agricultural liquid mist from a mist application area as the pesticide or other liquid is sprayed on soil or vegetation, which spray hood assembly is characterized by a hood of selected length having a selected number of hood segments joined together in end-to-end relationship, each hood segment typically having a substantially arcuate cross-sectional configuration and including curved front and rear panels extending downwardly from a hood top; and multiple air intake openings provided in the front panel of each hood segment, wherein turbulent air enters the hood through the air intake openings and mixes with liquid pesticide or other agricultural chemicals sprayed into the hood to promote substantially uniform distribution of the spray mist in the hood and application of the mist to the soil or vegetation within the confines of the hood as the hood migrates over the soil or vegetation.
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a new and improved spray hood assembly for retarding the drift of liquid pesticide spray mist or the mist of other agricultural liquid chemicals from the pesticide or chemical application area as the pesticide or other liquid is sprayed on soil or vegetation. In a preferred embodiment, the spray hood assembly is characterized by an elongated hood of selected and variable length including multiple hood segments each typically having a substantially arcuate cross-sectional configuration and fitted with flanged ends for typically bolting a selected number of the hood segments to each other in end-to-end relationship. The assembled hood is mounted on a suitable trailer coupled to a tractor or other towing vehicle. As the hood migrates over the soil or vegetation by operation of the tractor or other vehicle, the pesticide or other liquid is sprayed into the hood. Air openings in the curved front panels of the hood segments permit entry of turbulent air which mixes with the sprayed liquid mist inside the hood to facilitate substantially uniform application of the mist to the soil or vegetation beneath the hood. In a preferred embodiment, a mist curtain extends downwardly from each curved front and rear panel of the adjacent hood segments for enhancing confinement of the mist in the hood during application.